


Halloween Camaraderie

by Kellarhi



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Best Friends, Fluff, Gen, Gift Exchange, Halloween Gift Exchange, Not a scary story, Spooktacular Santa Halloween Fright Exchange
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-28
Updated: 2019-10-28
Packaged: 2021-01-06 01:54:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21218624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kellarhi/pseuds/Kellarhi
Summary: Life's been a lot more stressful for the teen superheroes lately, and a night without worries is just what Ladybug needs.  Halloween couldn't have arrived at a better time.





	Halloween Camaraderie

**Author's Note:**

  * For [randohopelessromantic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/randohopelessromantic/gifts).

> So I struggled to write this story for months now. I came up with idea after idea of things I wanted to write, and even abandoned 5 attempts at stories. When the S3 finale dropped, I realized I didn't want to write something that would leave me feeling hollow, and I needed something a lot more fluffy instead. So instead of the angsty and creepy stories I originally planned, I came out with this instead. I hope that's okay with you, @randohopelessromantic. 
> 
> There is always next year to catch up on creepy stories!

It was Halloween night in the city of love, where four masked heroes had been vigilantly combing the streets for mischief makers. They toured the entire city several times, but Paris seemed about as calm as it ever was when not under Akuma onslaught. They had seen more children dressed up today than in any previous year; Trick-or-Treating wasn't big in Paris, but there seemed to be a few neighborhoods specifically that had adopted the American tradition. 

As they'd leapt across the city, eager little witches and goblins waved excitedly to Ladybug and her crew whenever they were spotted. It felt like a treat to not be under Hawkmoth's assault this evening, and it had been decided that the city's protectors could take the remainder of the evening “off" and just relax. That was the reason the superhero team was now huddled around a small, round, steel cauldron fire pit, telling stories meant to creep each other out.

"... and that was the last time anyone had seen the girl," Carapace uttered in a hushed voice as he looked around at his audience. "She hasn't been heard from since." 

The fire they surrounded crackled merrily in the late October air, and the group sat wide eyed and staring at him. He slowly leaned back... firelight glinting off of his large round goggles and creating long shadows across his hooded face.

"Wow, turtle-boy. That was pretty intense!" Rena Rouge's expression had morphed from wide-eyed shock into wide-eyed delight; she was always adventurous. "My vote is for his story! Ladybug's story was good, but _his_ was downright eerie!"

"Yeahhhhhh, I think you win so far," Ladybug shuddered visibly as if she was cold, and her face looked much paler than it normally did. She gnawed at her lip, deep in thought.

Chat noticed her mood, and decided to leap in with his own story. "Okay, well it's my turn now! I have a great story for you all—I bet none of you can top _this_ one." All eyes turned to face him; Carapace was smug, while Rena's eyes glittered with anticipation. The only one that didn't look particularly excited was Ladybug.

"It was a dark and stormy night..." Chat Noir continued their storytelling.

"PPFFFFFttttt!" Rena Rouge had to stifle a laugh as he began the story, and Chat attempted to ignore her.

"A young—and handsome—boy was alone at home. He lived with his strict father, who had left for a business meeting in another town and was due back in the morning. Since he was a teenager, his father assumed he would be fine at home by himself." Chat paused dramatically; Ladybug's expression seemed to look even more worried than it had when Carapace had finished his tale. 

"We all know that teen boys eat a lot, so it was a _terrrrrrible_ surprise to the boy when he found that there were next to no groceries in the house! The boy had no choice but to settle for a snack dinner of tortilla chips, sprinkled with cheese. He was going to complain to his father when he got home in the morning, but figured this would at least stop his stomach from complaining.

"The storm continued howling outside as the boy crunched away at his dinner. Lightning illuminated the window to outside, and thunder boomed through his house... the creepy feeling of being alone tonight made the boy incredibly uncomfortable." Chat rubbed at his arms as if trying to warm himself through his magic suit. 

Carapace finally started to lose some of the confidence he had about his story being the obvious winner, and Ladybug was subconsciously leaning forward, hanging on Chat’s every word.

"Trying to shake off his heebie jeebies, the boy went to go sit on the couch in his living room to watch tv. He was in the middle of watching a show when the power suddenly cut out! He _screamed_ in surprise when his black cat suddenly JUMPED—" Chat chose that moment to shout the word, making everyone around the fire jolt in surprise, "—into his lap, and peered out into the deeeeeep dark hallway, unblinking. After what seemed like forever sitting in stunned silence and trying to figure out what his cat was looking at, the cat slid down to the floor, and silently went off into the blackness. The boy scrambled to grab his phone and use it for light; the hallway was pitch black—darker than the forest on a moonless night. 

"_'Whiskers?'_ the boy called after his beloved pet..." Chat paused for dramatic effect, before continuing. 

"...his call was met with silence. The complete absence of light made the boy's skin crawl, and every... hair... on his body... began to stand up in protest." 

Chat straightened his posture and his eyes grew wide. 

"Suddenly, he heard a voice—an ANGRY voice... calling out from the darkness of the hallway. _'Who... ate... my... cheeeeese...?'_" Chat called out in an ominous voice.

The captivated audience blinked in confusion for a moment, before Carapace started cracking up. Rena snorted, and playfully shoved her shoulder into his. 

Chat Noir's face colored red, but he tried to look serious. Ladybug's wide, surprised eyes softened, and she suddenly looked a lot less frightened; a small smile encroached on the corner of her lips. 

"_'Who ate my cheeeeeeese...'_" Chat continued, louder this time. It was met with more peals of laughter, but he forged on, changing his voice to a falsetto before continuing to voice the part of the boy in the story. 

"_'WHO'S THERE!!?'_ the boy yelled, and he JUMPED away from his chair! _'Whiskers!!!'_ he shouted, _'HELP ME!'_" 

Chat had his hands splayed across his cheeks, feigning helplessness. Then, his face morphed with a giant frown.

"_'Where... are... my... chips...?'_ the deeeep voice echoed down the hallway, and the boy backpedalled into the wall behind him, scrambling to back away from the hall! The cat LEAPT out of the shadows and landed on the boy's chest with a loud YEOOWWLLL—the boy hit his head against the wall and shouted with dread! He slid down to the floor, terrified! 

"_'DID YOU STEAL MY CHEESE!!!' _Whiskers shouted into the boy's face! The boy panicked! _'WHAT’S GOING ON!??'_" 

Chat had been switching his voice masterfully to play each part; he was trying to lure his audience back in. 

"_'I'm sorry Whiskers,'_ he cried! _'what's going on?!??' _the boy wailed again!"

Chat made eye contact with each of his teammates briefly before continuing.

"_'YOU did it, didn't you!?' _Whiskers meowled angrily!" 

Chat took the opportunity to jump up to punctuate his story, and pointed directly at Ladybug. 

"_'You should NEVER take someone else's cheesy chips! They're NACHOS!'_" Chat finished, looking completely manic with a wide grin across his face. 

The grin was infectious, and the rest of the group laughed in spite of themselves. After a few moments of uncontrollable laughter, Carapace shook his head, and Rena started shifting her weight to get up. 

"On that note," Rena stood and stretched, "I think I'll have to bid you all adieu. I have an early morning, and told my... nevermind. Civilian stuff. But, I do need to go," her hazel eyes locked on to Carapace. 

"Errrrm yeah—me too. Thanks for the evening, Bug, Chat,” he held up a fist, and bumped it against Ladybug’s. “We definitely have to work on those stories of yours bro," he said when his fist connected with Chat’s. Carapace laughed, and Chat reached behind his neck to rub it in embarrassment. 

"I guess that's my cue also," Ladybug stood up. "Thanks for everything, guys. I'm glad to share these evenings with you, even if the danger is a serious downside to this job." 

"Yeah, it was nice to see you all outside of akuma duty!" Chat smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Don't worry, I'll take care of extinguishing this. Have a good night. Happy Halloween..." he called out as they neared the edge of the roof. The three of them looked over their shoulders and waved as they jumped away. He was still waving back as they disappeared into the dark evening. His smile fell the moment the three were gone though, and he stared off in the direction they'd departed, deep in thought. He would be alone tonight, and was in no rush to return to his empty home.

* * *

Carapace and Rena dropped stealthily into an alley not far from Alya's family home. It was almost Alya's curfew, and the two had told their family they were out on a date. Ladybug landed softly beside them. 

The two returned to their civilian forms as they called out their de-transformation phrases. Ladybug held out her hand; they each deposited a Miraculous in it, and smiled at their leader. 

"Thank you Ladybug," Alya smiled, then reached out to grab Nino's hand.

"Yeah—thank you for entertaining Chat's wild idea." Nino said, almost shyly. "It's nice to just hang out without having to save Paris, you know? I think we'd all make good friends in real life." 

Ladybug smiled, trying to evade the truth of his words by not acknowledging what he'd said. "Thank you for all your hard work. I'll be calling on you again soon—but hopefully not too soon," she amended. She gave a small wave before flicking her yo-yo up towards the roofline again. "Bug out!"

She propelled herself towards the top of the building, watching to make sure her two friends made it safely inside before she swung away. 

Ever cautious, Ladybug cut back the way she came to make sure her alley cat had extinguished the fire at their meetup location. As she swung nearer, she was momentarily irritated when she saw the gentle flicker of firelight... but then she spotted him still crouched near it in the darkness. She landed noiselessly behind him.

"Penny for your thoughts, Chat?" Ladybug walked up and sat down next to him.

He visibly startled and turned to look when her voice interrupted his musings; he had been staring so intently into the fire that he hadn't even noticed her return—despite his excellent hearing. 

"Ladybug! What are you doing here?" he asked, voice laced with genuine confusion. 

"Truthfully, I was just swinging by to make sure this fire was put out; I wouldn't be much of a hero if the city caught fire thanks to us," she chuckled. "What about you?" 

"Well, I..." he started to reply. When he didn't continue, Ladybug switched tactics. 

"That was a pretty goofy story you told earlier. What brought that on?"

Chat looked to his partner; he absently noticed that the brightness of her curious, beautiful blue eyes was still evident, even in the darkness. He wasn't sure she would want to hear the whole truth, so he settled on a half.

"Well, you've met my kwami—he is a glutton. I just started to think about him and his love of cheese, and I guess I couldn't help myself when it came to the _pun-_chline," he gave her a sheepish grin. "It was too _gouda_ opportunity to pass up." 

Ladybug audibly groaned and playfully smacked his shoulder; Chat chuckled and turned his gaze to the fire.

"You WOULD..." she muttered under her breath, squinching her eyes at him. With a gentle smile and a contented sigh, she turned to face the fire as well. A companionable silence fell over them.

He sneaked a peek to look at her face and hoped she wouldn't realize he was studying her... but she was already off in Ladybug land. She was _always_ a world away—_always_ out of his reach, even while she was sitting so close. The far off look in her eyes as she gazed into the fire made his heart thud loudly in his chest. Watching her face earlier when Carapace had scared her silly was the real reason he'd come up with that ridiculous story; he didn't think she would ever accept his attempts to mould his world around hers, but he never wanted to stop trying. He wasn't the one she _wanted_, but he would always work to be.

She shifted her weight, and her hand landed next to his. His fingers were mere centimeters from hers but he dared not move—like a real Ladybug she might flitter away, so he chose to stay deathly still. He wondered what she could possibly be thinking of, and fought off the urge to break their easy silence with an annoying question like that. He gulped, and hastily turned his face back towards the embers in their fire pit—almost all of the flames had died off by now.

Tonight was a great idea," she spoke suddenly, interrupting his musing, and she turned to face him. 

"Why, thank you, milady," he nearly purred and turned to face her, the corner of his lip turned upwards in a slight smile.

"I've been... stressed lately..." she offered, starting a conversation that (for once) had nothing to do with hunting down Hawkmoth. The look she gave him was a little pained, and she ducked her head away in her vulnerability.

"So many things have happened, and it's like nothing I do ever turns out the way I anticipate." She wrung her hands nervously in front of her, then continued. "Until _recently_, at least I was resting easily in the knowledge that my luck seemed to always pan out in my favor—but, things don't feel the same lately. This was... a _nice_ way of escaping that for awhile. So, thank you, Chat Noir." She slowly began to stand up, and he matched her by also rising. 

"It's getting late...." she started to say, trying to excuse herself.

Chat saw the tension lurking at the corner of her eyes beneath the mask... he saw the haunted look she was trying to hide, and couldn't help himself. 

"Wait, Ladybug, I..." he reached out a hand, then quickly dropped it. "Before we call it a night, how about we play a quick game of Halloween tag?" 

She looked over to him and blinked in surprise before a small smile crept over her features. "Okay kitty—you're on. Take care of this fire, and I'll be back in just a few minutes."

* * *

Swinging and vaulting over rooftops—taking turns chasing one another, and hidden by large white sheets—Ladybug and Chat relieved their stress in one of the few small ways they'd allowed over their year-plus stint protecting their city. Anyone that looked out their windows that evening might have been shocked to see two ghostly figures tearing through the streets of Paris; indeed, there _were_ a number of families caught off guard as the pair passed swiftly overhead. The intention was never to scare anyone in Paris, but if that was an aftereffect, so be it; they were having fun, and hearing his lady whoop and laugh like that was worth it. Hawkmoth would be there tomorrow, and so would school tests and rivalries... but tonight was for reveling in some slight mischief and fun, and enjoying each other's company—it was Halloween, after all.

When they were winded and fully tired-out from their long day, they finally came to rest at their original meeting location. The pair both pulled the sheets off over their heads, and Chat handed his back to Ladybug. 

"Thank you Chat. I... really needed that," Ladybug panted breathlessly. "I am glad I have you as my friend and partner. I don't know what I'd do without you."

The rosy glow of her cheeks turned his insides to butterflies. "Anything for you, milady." 

He smiled warmly, and then thought to remind her, "It's you and me..." 

"... against the world," she finished. She seemed to hesitate for a moment, considering something. Her face turned crimson, and she quickly leaned over to kiss his cheek... then took a running dive off the roof and zipped off into the night.

Surprise took over his expression momentarily, as Chat lifted one clawed hand to the spot she'd kissed—that was definitely an unexpected treat.

Then, he smiled in the direction she had run off in. He would _always_ be there for his lady. He hoped she would understand the depths of his feelings for her one day... but for now, he'd settle on meeting her needs in any _other_ way he could.


End file.
